Pokemon Chronicles: The Next Generation
by TempOcean
Summary: Thirty years after Ash visited the Hoenn Region, we return to see two new Trainers named Tony and Lauren set off on a new two part quest; that for the Pokemon League and to complete the Hoenn Pokedex. Some old faces will return, and new characters as well
1. Introduction

**Pokémon Chronicles**

_**The Next Generation**_

**Author's Note: **Ok, for you guys out there that are insane about the copyright thing, I do not claim any of the original material from the Pokémon franchise as my own. But I do claim the material that **I **have created, which includes, but is not limited to: The characters Tony, Lauren, Prof. Aspen, Blaze, Amber, and others that I can't think of right now . . . Oh, and the return of some old faces is certain in this story; I do not claim them as my own work. I have also manipulated a few aspects of the Pokémon world, making it fit to my story as I deem appropriate. As far as new stuff is concerned in the story, expect to see a few Sinnoh Pokémon close to the end of the story; also, maybe a glimpse at some of the Legendary Pokémon of Hoenn; neither of which I claim as my work.

If you're wondering why the hell I'm writing this story, the following information will make it all clear. Ok, so basically, we're revisiting the Hoenn Region (my fave) thirty (30) years after Ash, Brock, May & Max were there. In this story, two **new **Trainers (Lauren and Tony) are about to embark on a two-part quest; that for the Hoenn Pokédex and for the Pokémon League Challenge (with Tony going for the League and Lauren for the 'Dex). In the thirty years since Ash visited the Hoenn Region, many things have changed; eight new Gym Leaders, the distribution of Pokémon across the region and the landscape itself has changed in some places. Nevertheless, Hoenn is still unchartered in parts; the Legendary Pokémon of the region slumber, some ancient places lay undisturbed, and the land remains wild as ever.

I am going to go ahead and rate this story PG-13 for the following reasons: Mild Violence, Some Suggestive Themes, Mild Language and Some Romance. Parents and fellow Pokémon fans be warned; this is **not **the Pokémon that kids watch every afternoon; this story _is _Pokémon, but in a more mature, refined nature. I am writing this in the hope that for those older readers out there who still love Pokémon, that this story is more age-appropriate than the cute & cuddly TV show that started it all. And last, kudos to you, Shigeki Morimoto, if you ever read this; if you hadn't had the awesome idea that became Pokémon, I would be a bum-assed teenager trying to get through his sophomore year in high school while trying to stay as sane as possible. Thanks.

**Introduction**

A moving truck rumbled down the dirt road, a cloud of dust trailing behind, trees whipping past the small van.

"Are we almost there?" Tony asked his mom.

"Yes, almost," she replied, "it should be just around this next turn,"

Tony and his family were moving to Littleroot Town from the Johto Region. His father was the new Gym Leader of Petalburg Town, while his mom planned to stay at home and keep the house. A thin, white-haired teenager, Tony intended to travel the road as a Pokémon Trainer, seeking out the eight Gym Leaders and one day competing in the Elite Four Pokémon League.

The truck rounded the turn and pulled into Littleroot Town. It consisted of a large clearing, with four houses and a large laboratory at the center.

"This is it," Tony's mom said, maneuvering the truck next to the nearest of the houses. A 'For Sale' sign stood in the small front yard of the structure. It was two stories high with a pointed roof. Tony and his mom exited the truck and stood in front of the house, looking.

"Nice buy," Tony remarked, eyes searching the face of the house.

"Yeah," his mom replied, taking out a key. She went to the front door, unlocked it and entered the house.

"Come on in!" She called, Tony following. The base floor was large and spacious; the kitchen and living room were melded together. Though devoid of furniture, it reflected a welcoming atmosphere. A pair of tall, elegant windows let sunlight in from the east. A set of stairs were set into the northeast corner of the house leading upstairs.

"Well, what do you think?" Tony's mom asked, looking around.

"I like it," Tony declared, unclasping two Poké Balls from his belt. Tony tossed them into the air. With a small click, they burst open, filling the room with white light. A Chikorita and a Pikachu appeared, stretching.

"Come on guys," Tony said, racing upstairs to check out his room, Pikachu and Chikorita close behind. Up the stairs, Tony turned left and entered the room.

It was smaller than he had anticipated, but was large enough to accommodate all of his gear and furniture.

"What do you guys think?"

"_Pika-Pika,_"Pikachu replied, looking around the room.

"_Chika,_" Chikorita agreed.

"I know," Tony replied, "it's nice, but we're not going to use it much once we get on the road. Come on, let's go help Mom unload," he said, exiting the room, Pikachu and Chikorita close behind. Tony came down the stairs to see his two Hariyama from the moving company hefting a sofa into the room.

"Easy with the couch," Tony's mom called to the Fighting-Type Pokémon.

"_Hariyama,_" the Pokémon grunted, walking backwards into the living room.

"Need some help?" Tony offered.

"No thanks; I've got things tied down here," Tony's mom replied, "but why don't you go next door and say hello to Professor Aspen?"

"Alright," Tony compromised, "come on," he added to Pikachu and Chikorita. They followed him out as he crossed the clearing to Prof. Aspen's house. Tony knocked on the front door. A moment later, Mrs. Aspen opened the door.

"Hello! You must be Tony. Please come in!" She stood aside and allowed Tony to enter, along with Pikachu and Chikorita.

"It's so good to finally meet you," Mrs. Aspen said warmly, shaking Tony's hand.

"Likewise," Tony replied, looking around. The Aspen household was quite similar architecturally to Tony's house.

"If it's my husband you're looking for, I'm afraid he's out now," Mrs. Aspen mentioned.

"But, our daughter Lauren is here," she added, "she said she was excited about meeting you. I think she is upstairs." Tony nodded and ascended the stairs, Pikachu and Chikorita close behind. He turned left up the stairs and entered Lauren's room. It was sparsely decorated, save for a queen-sized bed, dresser, TV and a desk, which Lauren was currently sitting at.

She was about Tony's age of sixteen; similar in height, with brown hair that came down in two long partitions on either side of her face She wore a green bandana on her head, and sported an orange and white half-suit, half-skirt outfit. Lauren looked up as Tony entered the room.

"Hello!" She said, standing up from her chair.

'Hey," Tony replied.

"Um, I'm Lauren. It's nice to finally meet you," she said, crossing the room. As Tony looked in her face, he noticed her eyes were a delicate sapphire color.

"I'm Tony," he said, extending a hand. Lauren took it and shook.

"So you just moved here?" She asked.

"Yes," Tony said, "from the Johto Region.

"Oh wow, really? It's so far away." She said.

"Yes. These are my Pokémon," Tony replied, motioning to Pikachu and Chikorita, who were standing next to Tony.

"Oh, they're cute!" Lauren exclaimed, squatting down to see them properly. Tony grumbled a bit to himself. _They're not cute, _he thought, _more like handsome or intimidating._ The Pikachu extended its small hand toward Lauren, while Chikorita offered a vine.

"Wow! Your Pokémon are well trained!" She said, impressed. She shook both Pikachu's paw and Chikorita's vine.

"They're even better in battle," Tony added, a note of pride in his voice.

"Really? We'll have to see about that," Lauren said challengingly. She brushed past Tony and headed downstairs, Tony and company in tow.

"Oh good, you've gotten acquainted," Lauren's mom said as the two Trainers descended the stairs.

"Come on outside, we'll have a battle!" Lauren said to Tony, leading the way outside.

Tony followed her, and out in the open glade, they took their respective positions fifty feet apart from each other, in exact Pokémon League form.

"We're going to do a Double Battle, if that's ok with you," Lauren called to Tony.

"What's a Double Battle?" Tony shouted back, confused.

"You use two Pokémon at once, silly!" Lauren laughed. Humiliated, Tony called back,

"We never fought Double Battles back in Johto, but I'll do my best anyway! Go, Pikachu and Chikorita!" Tony's Pokémon took their spots on the field. Lauren unclasped two of her own Poké Balls and threw them into the air. Out of the flash of white light emerged a Pikachu and a Mudkip.

"What? You have a Pikachu also!?" Tony said, surprised. This Pikachu, however, was a female; its tail was curved into a slight heart shape.

"Let's go," Lauren shouted, "Pikachu – use Thunder Wave on Chikorita, and Mudkip – use Tackle against Chikorita!" The two Pokémon went into action; Lauren's Pikachu shot a bolt of electricity at Tony's Pikachu, while Mudkip charged at Chikorita.

"Pikachu – dodge and use Slam! Chikorita, you dodge as well, then use Razor Leaf against Mudkip; let's go!" Tony countered with his own orders, watching the four Pokémon do battle. Tony's Pikachu successfully dodged the electricity, and rushed to slam into Lauren's Pikachu.

"_Pika!" _cried Lauren's Pikachu as the other made contact, sending the Pikachu rolling across the ground. Across the playing surface, Chikorita had failed to dodge Mudkip's tackle, but was retaliating with a Razor Leaf barrage.

'Come on, Mudkip! Stay clear of those leafs," Lauren shouted. Mudkip was barely avoiding the steady stream of razor-sharp leafs. Chikorita bared its teeth as it upped the rate of fire. Finally, Mudkip was struck by five or so leaves, sending it sprawling.

"_Mudkip!" _It cried, coming to rest, clearly defeated.

"Timeout!" Lauren shouted. The two Pikachus ceased fighting as Lauren recalled Mudkip back into its Poké Ball. Tony did the same with Chikorita.

"Resume battle!" Lauren cried. The two Pikachus once again made battle.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt!" Tony yelled. Tony's Pikachu stopped, tensed its body as it charged electricity.

"_Pika!" _It cried as its two red cheeks glowed white, releasing a giant thunderbolt. At the same time, Lauren's Pikachu stopped and stretched its tail into the air. The thunderbolt struck the tail, but was redirected toward the ground through the Pikachu's feet.

"What!?" Tony said, aghast. No one had ever mentioned that Electric-Types could negate aggressive electrical attacks.

"Pikachu, stick to physical attacks! Use Slam!" Tony ordered. Tony's Pikachu started to charge, gathering speed, approaching the opponent Pikachu. Lauren's Pikachu dodged the attack and rolled to the side.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Lauren shouted. Lauren's Pikachu charged in a mad rush of yellow lightning, accompanied by an electrical inferno appearing around the Pikachu. Before Tony could call out a counterattack, Lauren's Pikachu slammed into the other Pikachu, transferring massive voltage. A resounding BANG shook the town as Tony's Pikachu was sent flying over forty feet away. It landed hard, skidding a few feet before coming to a stop.

"Pikachu! Are you okay?" Tony yelled, running to his fallen companion. He gathered the small Electric-Type Pokémon in his arms.

"_Pika . . . Pikachu,"_ It coughed weakly.

"Is he okay?" Lauren said, concerned.

"He'll be okay; He just needs a Hyper Potion," Tony said shakily.

"I'm sorry," Lauren apologized, "I didn't know my Pikachu's Volt Tackle was that powerful."

"Don't worry about it," Tony said reassuringly, pulling out a spray-bottle-like object out of his pack. He held the bottle to Pikachu and sprayed. A blue mist washed over Pikachu. After a few moments, Pikachu shook its head, opened its eyes. Its combat injuries were completely healed

"You ok?" Tony asked him.

"_Pikachu!" _It said, clearly fine. Tony nodded and let him stand up.

"You need to teach him that move sometime," Tony commented, "it might come in handy one day."

"Yeah," Lauren said.

"Where is your dad right now?" Tony asked.

"He's north of here in Oldale Town, talking to some of his friends about some new discovery or something. Honestly," Lauren said, rolling her eyes, "my dad can be such a _nerd_ sometimes about being a Professor. It's interesting stuff and everything, but he expects _me _to do the same thing when I get older."

"I know," Tony said understandingly, "my dad wants me to become a Gym Leader after I top the Elite Four."

"Does he really? Being a Gym Leader is so . . . demanding," Lauren said.

"I don't know if I want to do it, though. I had planned on maybe traveling to the other regions after I am crowned Champion," Tony said thoughtfully.

"That's cool," Lauren said.

"So, I need to go talk to your dad about a Pokédex," Tony noted.

"Oh," Lauren said, "yeah. I'll go with you to Oldale Town."

"Alright, let's go," said Tony, who started up the path into the woods, Lauren close behind.

The path out of Littleroot took them on a trail that wound through dense woods. A sign on the path said:

**Entering Route 101**

"So this is the beginning of the Route System?" Tony asked.

"Yes," Lauren replied, "I think there are about 30 different routes across Hoenn. A flock of Tailow flew overhead, chirping loudly.

"What kinds of Pokémon live out here?" Tony said, looking around the trail.

"There's a large population of Zigzagoon and Wurmple out here," Lauren listed, "and there are also a few packs of Poochyena as well." Almost on cue, a group of furry brown Zigzagoon crossed the path, chittering among themselves. The rough track continued for several hundred yards before Tony and Lauren came upon Oldale Town.

The town was roughly the size of Littleroot, but with more buildings. Two more paths opened to the west and north of the town.

"This is a nice little town," Tony remarked. Then, to Tony's left, a group of men came out of a house, laughing and talking. They were middle-aged, a few wearing lab coats.

"Oh, there's my dad," Lauren said, pointing. The man she indicated broke from the group and approached Tony and Lauren.

"Hey kid," Lauren's dad said, smiling at Lauren. Then he turned to Tony, who cringed a little bit.

Lauren's father was a powerful man; tall, muscular and black-haired, with a short beard and deep blue eyes; the very same as Lauren's.

"Who is this? Not your first boyfriend, I hope," he growled, eyeing Tony, eyes narrowed. Lauren stifled a laugh and said:

"No, it's not like that. Dad, this is Tony. He just moved here from Johto." The professor's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," he rumbled, "please forgive me." He inclined his head slightly.

"I was aware you were coming, but did not expect you so soon. You may call me Prof. Aspen. I take it your father is now the Gym Leader of Petalburg to the west?"

"Yes, sir," Tony replied.

"And what type of Pokémon does he specialize in?"

"He is a Bug Type Trainer, sir," Tony said. Aspen stroked his beard absentmindedly.

"Hmm," he said, "interesting. This region hasn't seen a Bug Gym Leader in many years. When you see him, send my compliments and congratulations for his success. Now, if you will accompany me back to the lab, I need to give you a task." He turned without another word and walked back towards Littleroot.

"Does he always look at other people like that?" Tony said, shivering slightly. Lauren laughed lightly.

"Don't worry about it," she said, following her father, "he's just suspicious of whoever I hang out with." Reassured, Tony followed her on the trail back to town.

After Tony and Lauren reached Littleroot, they headed straight for the large building that made the tiny town so famous; the Pokémon Lab. The door hissed and parted as the two entered. Many bookshelves and various machines and computers filled the cavernous space. Lab techs milled about the place, some accompanied by Pokémon, others carrying documents or stacks of books. In the midst of it all, Lauren's dad was in deep conversation with a prominent-looking woman in a lab coat.

"Ah, there you are," Prof. Aspen said, turning to meet them. The woman next to him nodded slightly, and went off in the opposite direction.

"That was Linda," Aspen explained, "she's getting something important for you two."

"What are you . . ." Tony began, but Aspen raised a hand to silence him.

"You, and Lauren especially, know I am the region's only Professor. Therefore, it is my duty to recruit young Pokémon Trainers to go out into the field and gather information about the world's Pokémon." Linda reappeared, carrying two small, red, computer-like devices in her arms.

"Here they are, sir," Linda said, handing the objects to him.

"Are those-" Tony began, but Lauren interrupted.

"Yes, those are Pokédexes," she said. Prof. Aspen handed one of the Pokédexes to Lauren and to Tony, who examined his closely. Tony flipped his open, revealing a screen, tiny keypad, and a speaker.

"Greetings," the Pokédex said as it was opened. The tiny screen flickered to life, shining light-blue.

"I am Pokédex No. 189-B472A. It is my function to gather information about all of the Pokémon you encounter in this, and other regions. My operation is easy; simply point me at any Pokémon in front or around you and I will give you a full readout of the species."

"Impressive," Tony remarked, folding it back up.

"You can program these later to recognize the owner, and personalize it as you see fit," Aspen explained.

"How many other Trainers have you sent out, besides us?" Tony asked.

"You two are the first," Aspen replied, pride in his voice.

"And we are traveling together, I take it?" Lauren asked, motioning to Tony.

"Yes," Aspen said, "a journey is much easier and safer with another person." A lab tech approached Prof. Aspen, who turned and entered a conversation. Lauren turned to Tony.

"Isn't this exciting? We're the first Trainers in over thirty years to try and complete the Pokédex!"

"What happened last time?" Tony asked her, puzzled.

"Well," Lauren said, "the two Trainers who were assigned last time sort of . . . disappeared."

"Disappeared? Was their Pokédex data lost?" Tony asked, frowning.

"Yes, their Pokédexes were never found. No one is sure where exactly they disappeared, but some people say it had to do with a Legendary Pokémon of some kind," Lauren hinted.

"All Trainers know better than to tangle with those monsters," Tony scoffed; trying to imagine what would happen if _he _were in a battle with one of those ancient deities.

"I know," Lauren said knowingly, "but times were different then. Trainers were much more common than they are now, and far more reckless." Prof. Aspen turned back to the two, who were still in conversation.

"Ahem," he coughed. Tony and Lauren turned to him at once.

"Sorry," Tony apologized.

"Now, Aspen said, "it is time for you two to set out on your journey."

"So soon?" Tony asked in disbelief, "I'd need at least a day to assemble my travel pack!" Aspen stroked his beard, thinking.

"Yes, I suppose you should set out tomorrow morning, at dawn," he mused. Tony nodded, and turned to exit the lab. Lauren was left standing next to her dad.

"Well, I guess today had to come at some point," Aspen sighed, turning to a table with some books and paper.

"I like him," Lauren said, sitting down at the table. Aspen looked at her sharply.

"Don't try anything foolish while you are traveling," he warned.

"I know," she replied, "I mean, I don't _like him _like him (yet, she said to herself), but he's a nice guy all the same." Aspen nodded, somewhat relieved.

"So, where do we start?" Lauren asked.

"You will go north from here to Oldale," Aspen listed, "then west to Petalburg, and then to Rustboro, and start to follow the Gym Leader circuit, catching as many different Pokémon on the way as you can." It was a good plan, Lauren had to admit.

It would give Tony a chance to live his dream of defeating the Gym Leaders and Elite Four, and help Lauren with the Pokédex at the same time.

"You should go and start packing," Aspen said, rising from his seat.

"Alright, I'll see you later," Lauren replied, turning to the lab entrance. Aspen watched her go, wondering if it was the right thing to send his daughter on this adventure. Still troubled, he turned back to his work, mind buzzing like a swarm of Beedrill.

***

The next morning dawned cold and foggy, the sun just peeking over the horizon. In Tony's house, his mother was up and busy in the kitchen, cooking up a hot breakfast for Tony's departure. A few moments later, Tony came down the stairs, shuffling slightly.

"Morning," he yawned, stretching his back.

"Hi, sweetie," his mom replied, carrying a plate of scrambled eggs and toast over to the table. Tony sat down and started eating.

"Are you all ready to go today?" Tony's mom asked, taking a seat as well.

"Yeah," Tony said thickly through a mouthful of eggs and toast.

"Where are Pikachu and Chikorita?" she asked him.

"Oh, they're still sleeping upstairs," Tony said, taking a swig of orange juice.

"Hey, Pikachu! Chikorita! Come down and get some breakfast!" Tony called up the stairs. Several seconds later, the two Pokémon came down the stairs, eyes still gummed up with sleep. Tony's mom got up and fixed two bowls of Pokémon food for Pikachu and Chikorita. She brought the bowls to the table, where they sat in chairs and began to eat.

Tony had just finished his own breakfast when someone knocked on the door.

"I wonder who that could be at this hour," Tony's mom said, puzzled. She got up to answer the door.

"It's probably Lauren," Tony said, rising to get dressed. He was right. Lauren was standing there, backpack slung over her shoulder.  
"Hello," she said.

"Good morning. Come on in, Tony's just getting ready to go," Tony's mom said, holding the door open for her. Lauren stepped in, taking her shoes off, and sat on the couch.

"How are you, dear?" Tony's mom asked, taking a seat in a chair opposite the couch.

"Fine," Lauren replied, looking around the house. Tony came down the stairs a few moments later, backpack slung over his shoulder, Pikachu and Chikorita in tow.

"I'm ready," Tony announced. His mom got up and came over to him.

"Promise me you'll come home sometime soon," she said tearfully, hugging him.

"I will," Tony promised, returning the hug. After a few moments, Tony's mother let go, and Tony turned to leave.

"Keep an eye on him, won't you Pikachu?" Tony's mother asked.

"_Pika-pika!" _Pikachu said, mock-saluting her. She only laughed and waved them out the door, watching Tony and Lauren walk up the path to Oldale, and beyond.


	2. Chapter 1

**TempOcean: Okay people, here's Chapter 1! Basically, we witness Lauren and Tony get to Rustboro City for a showdown with Janet, the Lord of Stone.**

Chapter 1: Rustboro

Tony and Lauren ventured up the path to Oldale, the sun just cresting over the distant treetops.

"So we're really on the road now, huh?" Lauren asked as they trekked through the woods.

"I guess so," Tony replied, scanning the trees ahead. Apart from the occasional snapping twig or rustling leaves, the trail was silent. No Pokémon were out this early, and the pair never encountered a soul on the way to Oldale.

When Lauren and Tony reached Oldale, the sun was nearly in the sky. A few people wandered the area, still waking up.

"We need to stop at the Poké Mart," Lauren said, walking toward the blue-topped building.

"Why?" Tony asked, following her.

"To get some Poké Balls and some Potions and stuff," came her reply as the door slid open to admit them.

The interior of the store was very bright; several shelves of merchandise filled the small store, with a refrigerated shelf in the rear. No one else was in the store, save for the sales clerk.

"Morning," said the clerk cheerfully, "you two need anything?"

"Yes, we need ten Poké Balls and five Potions, please," Lauren replied. The clerk nodded and bustled around the store, collecting the supplies.

"That will be ¤3000," the clerk said, returning with a bag laden with supplies. Lauren pulled out a small wallet and began counting out rolls of bills, but Tony said:

"We'll split costs in half," he offered, pulling out his own wallet. Their money combined, the clerk took the bills and stored them in his register.

"Have a good one," he called as Lauren and Tony exited the store.

After loading the supplies into their backpacks, Tony and Lauren set out for the path the Petalburg City.

"We should start catching some Pokémon once we leave here," Lauren suggested as they reached the new path.

"Right," Tony agreed, watching the grass along the path. The sun was now in the sky, burning away the morning fog. To their left and right, patches of tall grass reigned, and a small pond on the right stood about fifty feet ahead of them. Apart from a flock of Tailow chirping in the trees, the trail was eerily quiet.

As the pair moved along the path, a Surskit emerged from a patch of grass, scanning the area for danger.

"Perfect," Tony whispered, crouching down in a patch of grass.

Tony pulled out his Pokédex and aimed the camera at it. After a few moments, the Pokédex beeped:

"Surskit: The ________." Tony nodded and pulled out a Poké Ball, waiting for the right moment to strike. He sat there, waiting for the Surskit to turn its back to him.

The Bug-Type Pokémon did exactly that a moment later. In a flash, Tony stood up and wailed the Poké Ball at the Surskit. It didn't even have time to react as the red and white ball struck the Pokémon in the back. The ball popped open, and a whitish light appeared, and the Surskit disappeared in the ball. The Tailow took flight, leaving the Poké Ball wriggling on the ground.

"Come on, come on," Tony muttered, watching the ball apprehensively. After several seconds, the ball stopped moving, and a red glow appeared around the ball, and dissipated.

"Hah!" Tony shouted, rushing forward to claim his newly caught Surskit.

"Nice," Lauren remarked, who was hiding behind a rock nearby. Tony clipped the ball to his belt, alongside Pikachu's and Chikorita's. Lauren, meanwhile, was scanning the skies, looking for a Tailow. With none to be found, she and Tony kept moving along the path as the sun rose higher into the sky.

Further down the route, a young boy jumped out from a bush and called to Lauren and Tony:

"Hey! Are you two Pokémon Trainers?" The boy was about eight or nine, wearing a blue baseball cap, and carrying a Poké Ball in his hand.

"Yeah," Lauren said, reaching for her Pikachu's ball.

"Come on, let's battle then! Go, Poochyena!" the boy cried, throwing his Poké Ball into the air.

"Pikachu, let's go!" Lauren yelled, throwing her own ball into the air. Both flashed and burst open in white flashes. Lauren's Pikachu came down in a fighting stance, sparks flying from its cheeks.

Across the path stood the boy's Poochyena; a black wolf-like Pokémon, with yellow eyes and two sharp fangs.

"Poochyena, use Bite!" Shouted the boy. The Poochyena snarled and leapt at Pikachu, jaws agape.

"Pikachu, dodge and use Thunder!" Lauren commanded. The Pikachu did exactly that, rolling out of the Poochyena's charge and sending a powerful thunderbolt at the foe. It connected, with the Poochyena howling in pain. Trying to recover from the attack, the wolf-like Pokémon made an attempt to charge, but collapsed in a faint.

"Whoa," the young boy said, "that's not cool!" He rushed forward, picked up the Poochyena in his arms and ran off down the path, presumably toward Petalburg's Pokémon Center. Tony and Lauren looked at each other in the silence.

"Well," Tony said awkwardly, "he won't be bugging us again." They continued in the direction of Petalburg, in awkward silence.

***

As the day wore on, Tony and Lauren reached Petalburg City. It was a small town, containing several buildings, including a large, rectangular one with a tan-colored roof: a Pokémon League Gym. Lauren and Tony went right past the Pokémon Center and Mart to examine the sign outside of the gym. It read:

**PETALBURG CITY GYM LEADER: BRENDAN **

"**The Master of the Swarm"**

"The _Master of the Swarm_?" Lauren asked Tony, cocking an eyebrow.

"Er," Tony said embarrassedly, "he needed some kind of catchy nickname for himself, and . . . yeah, that's his title." Lauren burst out laughing, whereas Tony turned red.

"Whatever," he growled, "let's go in." He walked toward the door, which hissed open. Together, Lauren and Tony entered the Gym

Inside was a large, cavernous space; half battlefield, half jungle. White chalk lines clearly marked the arena, while all kinds of tropical plants grew about the place. The air was very humid; Tony's clothes clung tight to his body, and Lauren was complaining about her own outfit.

"This is your dad's Gym?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Tony said, warily scanning the area for danger. As the two Trainers approached the middle of the arena, a voice boomed out:

"Tony! There you are!" Both Tony and Lauren jumped at the noise. From across the field came a man, who approached Lauren and Tony.

He looked about forty years old; his hair, which was white like Tony's, was short and flecked with small streaks of grey. He had the profile of a once awe-inspiring figure, but still radiated a sense of power.

"I am Brendan," he said, extending a hand to Lauren, "Tony's father, and the Master of the Swarm." Biting back a giggle, Lauren shook his hand, and Brendan turned to Tony.

"Now, my son," he asked, "how is Mom and the new house?"

"Great," Tony replied, "she's got the furniture out and should be finished unpacking by tonight."

"Good," Brendan said, "now, I take it you are on the road to the Pokémon League?"

"Yes," Tony said, "we'll be coming back here after the first four Gyms."

"Very well then," said Brendan, "you should be getting on your way if you ever want to try and challenge _me_." Tony nodded and turned to leave, Lauren close behind him.

"Do you hang out with your dad that much?" Lauren asked Tony as the walked through the town.

"No, not really," Tony replied, "he was too busy running the Gym in Johto to come home that much. He made good money, though."

"That's too bad," Lauren commented as they approached the Pokémon Center. They didn't really need to heal their Pokémon after the journey, but it would give them a place to rest for a while. The door hissed and slid open, admitting Lauren and Tony to the building.

Inside the Center, it was bright and spacious. A Nurse stood behind a reception counter, and down the floor to the right was a small infirmary. It was here that critically injured Pokémon could be treated. It even featured a small lodge on the top floor for Trainers to stay. Across the room, the young boy who had challenged Lauren on the trail to Petalburg sat in a chair with his Poochyena. He looked at the two, and then dropped his gaze.

"Well, what should we do now?" Tony asked, dropping into a chair.

"We might be able to make the trip to Rustboro today," Lauren said slowly, "after all, it's only two o' clock, and Rustboro is only twenty miles northwest of here." Tony pulled out a map out of his backpack and opened it.

"Well, we're here in Petalburg," he said, pointing on the map, "and to get to Rustboro, we need to get through Petalburg Forest." He drew a line in the direction of the city, which passed through a mass of green; Petalburg Forest.

Lauren looked worried. Sensing her doubt, Tony said:

"The forest can't be that bad."

"It's not the forest itself," said Lauren, "it's all the Bug-Type Pokémon. I _really _don't like bugs." She shivered slightly.

"You won't have to worry about the bugs, so long as we keep our guard up throughout the forest," Tony reassured her. Lauren nodded and got up, Tony doing the same.

"We should get going," said Tony, "we've got a lot of ground to cover before night falls. Together, the two Trainers exited the Pokémon Center and ventured west out of Petalburg.

On the outskirts of the town was the western coast; the sea was clearly audible as the surf washed over the rocks and beach. A small cottage with a dock stood close to the water, a small boat tethered to the pier.

"Isn't that where Mr. Briney used to live?' Lauren asked, pointing at the cottage.

"He used to," Tony said, eyes sweeping the building, "but I heard he died about ten years ago. Someone else lives there now, maybe his son or something." The two Trainers continued past the cottage, up the road to the entrance of Petalburg Forest. The road continued on into the trees, which shifted slightly with a thin breeze.

"Come on, let's go," said Tony who started towards the entrance. Lauren hesitated for a moment, and then followed him. Once they were in, darkness washed over them, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

"See? It's not so bad," said Tony, looking about the forest. No Pokémon were visible through the trees, and the place was eerily quiet.

As they continued down the road, however, a Shroomish emerged from the trees, on the lookout for any sign of danger.

"Oh good," Lauren whispered, ducking behind a tree. Pulling out her Pokédex, she aimed it at the Grass-Type Pokémon. A moment later, it beeped, the voice of the Pokédex saying:

"Shroomish: The ________." Lauren silently replaced her Pokédex and took out a Poké Ball. Taking careful aim, she lobbed it at the Shroomish, which yelped and tried to bolt, but was too slow; the Pokémon was already being captured by the small red and white ball.

As a precaution, Lauren pulled out Pikachu's Poké Ball and released it. Her Pikachu landed in a fighting stance, watching the Poké Ball, should the Shroomish escape. Sure enough, the ball reopened and the Grass-Type Pokémon reappeared on the ground, clearly disoriented.

"Pikachu, use Thunder Wave!" Lauren shouted. The Pikachu sent a small jolt of electricity at the Shroomish, which fell on the ground, clearly paralyzed. Now, Lauren threw another Poké Ball. It connected, the Shroomish vanishing once more into the ball. This time, it didn't even wiggle; the little light clicked red, and then faded.

"Hah! Nice job, Pikachu!" Lauren exclaimed, reaching down to pick up the Poké Ball.

"Good work," Tony complimented her. Lauren then slipped her new Shroomish onto her belt. She then raised her Pikachu's ball and recalled it. The Pikachu disappeared in a flash of white, and Lauren clipped the ball next to Shroomish's. The forest was quiet again, and so they continued on into the trees.

Further along the path, the trail became lost through a large growth of waist-high grass. When the two Trainers reached it, they hesitated.

"Don't all kinds of Pokémon live in the long grass?" Lauren asked, eyeing the grass apprehensively.

"For the most part," said Tony, scanning the vast expanse for movement. As Tony started to enter the grass, Lauren said:

"Wait, hold on a second! Why don't you use Chikorita's Razor Leaf to clear a path through the grass?"

"Didn't think about that," said Tony thoughtfully. He unclipped Chikorita's Poké Ball and threw it up. Chikorita appeared in a flash of white, looking about the forest.

"Chikorita, use your Razor Leaf to clear a path through this grass," Tony said. Chikorita nodded and shot several leafs at the grass. They were sliced cleanly in half. Reassured, the Grass-Type Pokémon filled the air with leaves, carving a small path through the grass to the other side.

"Good job," said Tony appraisingly, returning Chikorita to its ball. Quickly and quietly, the two Trainers walked through the newly cut path to the opposing edge of the grass.

"Why is there so much grass here?' Lauren asked once they had crossed the field.

"It seems like no one has been in here for a long time," commented Tony, looking about the trail. In fact, no one _had _traveled through Petalburg Forest in over ten years.

"Why would that be?" Lauren asked as they continued on through the forest. Tony hesitated a moment before answering.

"My dad told me about something that happened here around ten years ago," he said, "but I can't remember what . . . don't you know?"

"I never heard any stories about Petalburg when I grew up," replied Lauren, "why would there be? Nothing really _happens_ in Hoenn anymore; nothing has in thirty years." As she finished her sentence, a low growling noise, followed by a distant howl drifted through the trees. Reacting on impulse, Tony grabbed Pikachu's Poké Ball and tossed it up, while Lauren looked for the source of the noise.

"Now I remember what happened," snarled Tony, with Pikachu now standing beside him, ready to fight.

"What? What happened?" Lauren asked, her voice quivering with fear.

"Ten years ago, a few people were traveling through this forest," Tony recalled, still watching, "when they were ambushed by a pack of Mightyena." He paused. "They didn't make it."

"What!? No! Pokémon don't _kill _people! And Mightyena don't live in this forest!" Lauren cried, clearly unnerved. At last, the wolf-like Pokémon emerged from the trees. There were six of them, who circled the two Trainers, gnashing their teeth and snarling. Hand trembling, Lauren pulled out her Pokédex and took aim. A moment later, it beep, the electronic voice saying:

"Mightyena: The ________." Lauren replaced her Pokédex and took out her own Pikachu's ball. She threw it up, the Mightyena watching with narrowed eyes. Lauren's Pikachu landed in a flash of white, standing in a fighting stance. Tony and Lauren watched the circling Mightyena, waiting. Suddenly, with a loud snarl, the lead Mightyena jumped at the Trainers, jaws agape.

"Shit! Pikachu, use Thunder!" Tony shouted, rolling away from the attack. Pikachu's cheeks glowed white, and shot a thunderbolt at the Mightyena. It struck with a loud _bang! _The Mightyena fell to the ground, howling in pain. The other Mightyena leapt at both Trainers, but were all struck simultaneously by both Pikachus.

Though they didn't fall down like their leader, they ran off into the forest, wailing at their loss. The leader got up and followed his pack, eyes glittering with malice. Then, it was just Lauren, Tony and the two Pikachus.

"Are you okay?' Lauren asked Tony, rushing to his side. Tony was still on the ground, swearing under his breath; a slash had cut across his arm, bleeding slightly.

"Oh my God," said Lauren, "how did that happen?" She examined the wound with shaking hands.

"Don't worry about it, he only scratched me when he fell," said Tony reassuringly, who got up a moment later.

"Are you sure?" Lauren asked him, voice full of concern.

"I'll be fine. But thanks for asking," Tony replied, giving her a small smile, which Lauren returned. Tony took out a cloth from his pack and made a make-shift tourniquet. Together, they set off again down the path, this time keeping their Pikachus out should the Mightyena return.

"Thanks, Pikachu," said Tony to the Electric-Type Pokémon perched on his shoulder, "if it weren't for you and Lauren's Pikachu, we would be dinner for that pack of Mightyena."

"_Pika-pika!" _Pikachu said, which obviously meant 'you're welcome'. After a long time on the march, the trees began to thin; at last, they had reached the edge of the forest.

"We're almost there!" Lauren exclaimed, racing to the end of the path. She burst through the trees into a setting sun.

"Wow, is it really that late?" Tony asked, emerging from the forest a moment later. He looked down at his watch: it was 6:32. Looking ahead, Tony could see the high buildings of Rustboro; the only thing that stood in their way was a small lake. Fortunately, a bridge spanned it, which Lauren and Tony used, quickly crossing the lake. They stepped into Rustboro City as the sun dipped below the buildings to the east.

The city itself was expansive; most of the buildings were the same slate-grey color. Among the tall skyscrapers and apartments, a Pokémon Center stood near the city center. At this hour, only a few people were still out; most had gone home for the night. Lauren and Tony hastily followed the road straight to the Pokémon Center, entering the building. Inside, only the attending Nurse was present; no one was in the infirmary or waiting area.

"Good evening," said the Nurse, approaching the pair, "how may I . . . oh, my!" She gasped when she saw Tony's tourniquet, which was stained with blood.

"What happened to you?" She asked, marching Tony to the infirmary.

"We were traveling through Petalburg Forest, when we were -" Lauren began, but was cut off by the Nurse.

"Petalburg Forest?! What in heaven's name were you doing in there?" She led Tony to a bed where he sat, and unwrapped the makeshift bandages and applied some medication to the wound.

"We were only passing through when a pack of Mightyena attacked us," Tony said, gritting his teeth as the antibiotic took effect.

"You had no idea that there are posted warnings at both entrances of the forest?" The Nurse asked, completely shocked.

"Warnings? There were no signs at either end of the trail!" Tony exclaimed.

"That's strange," the Nurse commented, clearly concerned, "but it can't be helped now. I'll wrap your arm up and let the antibiotic work on your scratch. Are you hurt at all?" She added, looking at Lauren.

"No, I'm fine," Lauren replied, "but I caught a Shroomish that needs a paralysis treatment."

"Ok," said the Nurse, "I'll see to your Shroomish in a moment. Would you like lodging for the night? It's only ¤600, with breakfast included."

"Yes, we'll stay," said Lauren, who could think of nowhere else to spend the night. She dug out a roll of money, counted it, and handed it to the Nurse, who pocketed it.

"I believe Room No. 5 is available," said the Nurse helpfully.

"What about Tony?' Lauren asked, her eyes straying over her injured friend.

"He'll stay the night here in the infirmary," replied the Nurse.

"I'll be fine," Tony told Lauren, "go and get some sleep. We've had a rough day.

Lauren set down her Shroomish's Poké Ball and left, both Pikachus behind her. The attending Nurse took the ball and left the room to the treatment center, leaving Tony alone. In this brief moment of privacy, Tony changed into a t-shirt and a pair of flannels. He got into bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillows.

***

Morning in Rustboro City dawned, the sun peaking over the ocean to the west. In the Pokémon Center's infirmary, Tony stirred, sensing the new day. He blinked his eyes open, and then jumped in surprise; Lauren was sitting in a chair right next to his bed.

"Lauren!" Tony almost shouted, "Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry," Lauren apologized, "but I was worried about you, and wanted to see you." She paused a moment. "How's your arm?"

"It feels fine, I guess," said Tony, looking down at it. There was a little bit of blood through the wrappings, but Tony sensed no pain.

A moment later, the Nurse from last night entered the room.

"Oh good, you're awake," said the Nurse, striding over to him. She examined Tony's bandages, and then removed them. The wound was still open, but stable, nonetheless.

"Will this need stitches?" Tony inquired.

"No, I don't think so," the Nurse replied, "after all, the cut isn't deep and should completely heal in about a week; however, you may bear a scar as a result." Tony reflected on this, not sure of what to think. The Nurse then applied fresh bandages to the wound.

"I suppose that is all we can do for you," said the Nurse as Tony stood up, "your injury will heal in several days. You are free to go, but come back if it doesn't heal right."

"Thank you," said Tony, "I will." Tony gathered his clothes and entered a changing room. A few moments later he emerged in full travel gear, backpack slung over one shoulder.

"We should get some breakfast before we head out," Lauren suggested once they left the infirmary.

"That's fine," said Tony as the two Trainers entered the lodge. The room was spacious; themed like an old warehouse, the lodge was pleasant, but still rugged at the same time. Only a few other Trainers were up at this hour; drinking coffee, eating breakfast or reading a newspaper. Tony and Lauren approached the breakfast bar, mouths watering.

There was a smorgasbord of food; scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, sausage, biscuits and gravy and tons of other savory choices. Keen to start eating, they both took a little bit of everything and grabbed two cups of coffee. Plates laden with food, the two Trainers sat down and dug in. Tony started immediately on the biscuits and gravy, reducing them to almost nothing in a matter of about thirty seconds. Lauren, although as hungry as Tony was, exercised a little more restraint than her friend.

Finally, after about a half-hour of eating, Lauren and Tony felt full; they gathered their plates and placed them on the dirty dishes pile next to the breakfast bar.

"You could have eaten a little slower," Lauren complained as Tony gave a small belch.

"We didn't eat lunch _or _dinner yesterday!" Tony said defensively as they left the Pokémon Center.

The sun was in the sky now, beating down on the city.

"Where should we go now?" Lauren asked as they ventured through the city.

"Let's go check out the Gym," Tony said. This made Lauren stop dead in her tracks.

"The Gym? Today?! Tony, you've just been attacked by a pack of Mightyena; you shouldn't be making this challenge yet!" Tony turned back to look at her.

"I've told you already, I'm fine! It was only a scratch, the Nurse said I should be fine in-" But he was cut off by Lauren, who cried:

"You could have been _killed _in that forest, Tony! We might _both _have died if our Pikachus hadn't zapped them!" This made Tony stop and think.

"You're right, but I said we should go and _check it out_, not actually challenge!" Lauren turned pink at the cheeks with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, it's just . . ."

"I know. You're concerned for my well-being," said Tony.

With the argument settled, Tony turned around and headed towards the Gym, Lauren close behind. The large, orange-topped building was nestled between two tall skyscrapers. A sign stood at the front of the Gym door, which Tony wasted no time in examining. It read:

**RUSTBORO CITY GYM LEADER: JANET**

"**Still here through rock-solid willpower!" **

"Only one way to find that out," Tony declared marching through the Gym door, which hissed to admit him.

"Tony, Tony!" Lauren said, charging in after him. She almost ran into him; Tony was as still as a rock.

"Tony, would you listen to me? I really don't think you're up to this-" But Tony held out a hand to silence her, and after a moment, she could see why.

The Gym was massive; not only was its size surprising, but the way it was decorated stole the words out of Lauren's mouth. The entire place was made a rock – literally. The arena, the stands – everywhere was covered in thick, shaped granite. Then, a voice rent the air of the Gym; a female voice, rich with scorn and an air of challenge.

"Ha! I had a feeling you would come here at some point!" A figure leapt down from a high platform of stone at the end of the hall, landing with a slight _thud!_ She stood without any sign of fall damage. She was a middle-aged woman, with short black hair and sharp blue eyes. She stood there and called out to them:

"I am Janet, the Lord of Stone and the Gym Leader of Rustboro City! If you intend to make a challenge, then speak!"

"I am Tony, and even though I have no title for myself, I challenge you for the Rustboro City Gym Badge!" Tony shouted back, stepping forward to make his challenge. Janet tossed the hair out of her face and entered the arena as well.

"Isn't your friend going to join us?" She asked, her voice floating through the air.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked her. Janet laughed.

"You should have done well to read the sign next to my door; it specifically states that Trainers must make a challenge in a Double-Battle only!" Tony nodded, beckoning Lauren to join him.

"And where is your partner?" Tony shouted back to Janet. Across the floor, Janet turned and whistled loudly. A thin figure leapt out from the shadows, landing next to Janet without a sound.

"This is Quinn, my best pupil. He will assist me in defending my Gym," said Janet, gesturing to the man. He was tall; wearing some sort of robe, his hair was long and black. His eyes were a piercing green, which reached Lauren and Tony, who were fifty yards away.

"Get ready," Tony advised Lauren, "I would use Mudkip against these guys. I'll use Chikorita." In unison, the two Trainers each unclipped a Poké Ball from their belt and threw them high. They burst open at the same time, Chikorita and Mudkip appearing in a flash of white. Across the battlefield, Tony could see Janet's stony expression flicker with surprise, then fade back to cold indifference. She and Quinn drew out a Poké Ball each and throw them up. Out of them came a Graveler and an Aron. Instinctively, Lauren drew out her Pokédex and aimed. With its momentary beep, the Pokédex gave the information.

"Graveler: The ______," and Aron: The ________.". Stowing her Pokédex, she and Tony waited for Janet and Quinn to move. Then, Janet shouted:

"Commence battle! Graveler, use Rock Throw!"

"Aron, use Headbutt! Go for the Chikorita!" The two Pokémon sprang into action; the Aron charging, the Graveler gathering nearby stones in its four arms, which it lobbed with frightening speed.

"Chikorita, dodge that Headbutt and use Razor Leaf!" Tony shouted.

"Mudkip, stay away from those rocks and use Water Gun!" Lauren ordered. They moved immediately; Chikorita rolling away from the Aron's attack, while Mudkip shot a stream of water at Graveler.

The Rock-Type Pokémon was too slow to avoid the water; it roared angrily as the water struck it, knocking the Graveler tumbling over. Chikorita began spraying leaves at the Aron; however, the leaves simply bounced off its hard, shiny metal body.

"That's not good," Tony muttered, "Chikorita! Razor Leaf's no good, try a Solarbeam!" He turned to Lauren as the Aron and Graveler geared up for another attack.

"Tell Mudkip to cover Chikorita; it can't move while it charges its Solarbeam." Lauren nodded and shouted:

"Mudkip, cover Chikorita while it charges its Solarbeam!" The small Water-Type Pokémon ran over to Chikorita and waited, while Chikorita stretched its leaf skywards, waiting for the light to fuel the attack.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun again, this time against Aron!" Lauren shouted. Mudkip took aim and shot a powerful jet of water at the Aron, which was almost to the two other Pokémon. It was too late for it to change course; the water struck the Steel-and-Rock-Type Pokémon dead on, sending it sprawling across the battlefield. It was clearly affected, but still managed to get up for another round.

"Graveler, use Rollout!" Janet cried across the arena. Grinning, the Graveler rolled itself up into a ball and rolled with frightening speed towards Mudkip and Chikorita.

"Come on, Chikorita!" Tony yelled, hoping that it wasn't too late . . . Chikorita then tensed its body, aiming the now glowing leaf at the incoming Graveler.

"_Chika!"_ It cried as a bright, explosive beam of energy shot from the leaf. It hit its target dead on; the Graveler was clearly defeated; it tumbled out of control and landed on its side, knocked out by the sheer force of the beam.

"Cease battle!" Janet cried, running forward to recall her Pokémon. Everyone watched as she pulled out a Poké Ball and opened it, the Graveler disappearing inside. She rushed back to her spot, clearly unsettled.

"Resume battle!" She shouted. The Aron resumed its charge, bent on avenging its friend in battle. But the odds were against it; two against one, and the two had the Type advantage.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun again!" Lauren commanded.

"Chikorita, use Stun Spore!" Tony shouted. The two Pokémon acted quickly; Mudkip shot a volley of three shots, while Chikorita charged forward, waiting for the water to hit. The Water Gun struck the Aron a second later; it was knocked backwards and landed on its side. As it struggled to get up, Chikorita stood nearby, spreading a yellow dust into the air around the Aron. Almost immediately, the small Pokémon stopped moving; it was in full paralysis. Small sparks jumped across the Aron as it lay there, unable to move. Across the field, Janet sighed, for the battle was clearly lost.

"It seems," she said, approaching the two Trainers, "that I must concede defeat for the first time in over five years." Quinn followed her, returning the paralyzed Aron to its Poké Ball.

"Congratulations, both of you!" Out of her pocket, Janet pulled out two badges and handed one to each Lauren and Tony.

"You have taken your first of several steps towards the Pokémon League! Your names will now be inscribed on my sign, in recognition of your prowess!"

"Thank you," said Tony and Lauren gratefully.

"Now, be on your way! You both have a lot of ground to cover before this year's League Competition."

"Where is the next Gym? Tony asked.

"If my memory serves me correctly, the next Gym is far south of here in Dewford Town, an island community about thirty miles due south from Petalburg Forest," explained Janet.

"Thanks for the info," said Tony, turning to leave.

"No problem, kid," said Janet, "I'll see you again soon enough." Tony and Lauren, along with their Pokémon, exited the Gym, talking animatedly about their victory.

"I can't believe how easy that actually was!" Lauren exclaimed, who was examining her newly won Gym Badge in her hand.

"I can't either," said Tony, almost disbelievingly. They walked to a bench, where they sat down, Chikorita and Mudkip on the sidewalk.

"So, Dewford Town, huh?" Lauren asked.

"I've only heard about that place; never been there myself," replied Tony. The two victorious Trainers sat there for some time, while Mudkip and Chikorita played on the walk.

"I think that we'll make it to the Pokémon League," said Lauren, looking at Tony.

"Soon enough," admitted Tony, "but we've got a year until that day comes! We'd better start training once we get out of the city, huh?" Lauren nodded. They sat there, considering how long it would take to finally reach the top, and what it would cost to get there.

**TempOcean: Okay, there you go! Discuss and evaluate. Chapter 2 will follow within a week or two, so stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Welcome back. If you've been tuned in recently, you have witnessed Tony and Lauren defeat Janet for the Rustboro Badge. Now two weeks after the fact, they are camping north of Rustboro in Route 115. After a bad rain, they head south to Dewford Town to confront Louis for the Dewford Badge.

**Author's Note II**: Oh, forgot to mention – Status Conditions in this story are **deadly**. If your Pokémon is paralyzed, you're done, basically. Poison is effective, too. A new Status Condition called Stunned has been found; when your Pokémon gets zapped by a ton of electricity, its muscles seize up and it goes unconscious. Only way to heal it is to go to a Pokémon Center (almost the same as fainting).

**Disclaimer: **Oh, forgot to mention this: In the games, you have to catch the Pokémon in order to get their data, right? Not here. In case you were curious, you just have to let the Pokédex see the Pokémon in question and it'll get data on it.

**SPOILER ALERT: **This chapter has the beginnings of a romance (can't say who, you have to read it for yourself). Expect more romance in later chapters. And a new character pops up – an undercover Ranger named Blaze, whose role in the story will soon become apparent.

Chapter 2: Dewford

Heavy raindrops plunked on the roof of the tent, in which Lauren and Tony were sheltering; nestled in the forests of Route 115, north of Rustboro.

"I hate rain," Tony grumbled, who was stretched out on his sleeping bag.

"It could be worse," said Lauren reasonably; she was immersed in a travel guide for the northern Hoenn region.

"It says here that this area always gets some bad rain during late summer. I'm glad we picked up this tent at the camping store; no leaks and it keeps warm in cold weather," read Lauren.

Despite the four days they had spent huddled in their tent, Tony and Lauren had been camping north of Rustboro for about two weeks after they had defeated Janet. They had one goal in mind: to train hard and head southwards to Dewford Town, where Louis awaited in the Dewford Gym. After a while of reading, Lauren tucked her travel guide away and stretched out on her bag.

"Tell me about the Johto Region," Lauren said to Tony, who took a moment to recall the memories of his homeland.

"What, do you mean like the landscape, the people, stuff like that?" Lauren nodded. Tony took a deep breath and began his reminiscence.

"Well, what I liked best about the Johto Region were the mountains. There were _a lot _of mountains there, which meant snowboarding, skiing and rock climbing all year-round." Tony paused.

"The cities weren't as new as Hoenn's. There was a lot more forest, especially on the southern peninsula; lots of old legends associated with that particular forest. Then there were the Whirl Islands in the west sea . . . I think I was there only once, but it was _cool_."

Tony paused once more, thinking.

"What were the Whirl Islands?" Lauren asked, sitting up. Tony simply shrugged.

"The locals always used to send misbehaving kids to the islands . . . when some kid was bad, he was sent for a day . . . when he would come back, he'd be sweet as a lamb, never causing trouble again. But I think the islands themselves had some associations with a Legendary Pokémon . . . I can't remember which one, though." Lauren was interested now, soaking in Tony's words.

"Did you ever actually go onto the islands?" She asked him. Tony snorted.

"If I did," he said, "I wouldn't be here to talk about it, would I? No, only a few are actually allowed to go _into_ the islands, which are riddled with caves." Outside the tent, the steady _plunk, plunk, plunk _of raindrops began to dissipate.

"Wouldn't you believe it," said Tony wonderingly, "the rain stopped!" Getting to his feet, he exited the tent, Lauren close behind him. Outside the tent, everything was dropping wet. The ground squelched beneath Tony's feet as he walked around, stretching from his multi-day imprisonment in the tent; Lauren was doing the same.

Moments after their exit of the tent, the sun emerged from behind the mass of gray overhead, temporarily blinding the two Trainers.

"That's better," said Tony, blinking in the light.

"I think we should leave for Dewford tomorrow," Lauren suggested.

"Sounds good," offered Tony, "after all, it's still going to take us a few days to go that far south.

As the two Trainers returned to the tent, Tony had an inspiration.

"I want you to teach my Pikachu how to cancel out Electric-Type attacks," said Tony. Taken aback slightly, Lauren nodded and said:

"Um, ok; it's just that the technique is difficult to learn, so . . ." Tony understood and took out Pikachu's ball. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the red and white ball upwards, which then burst open, Pikachu appearing in a white flash. Lauren took out her own Pikachu, and together, they started to train.

"So, when your Pikachu needs to deflect an electrical attack," explained Lauren, "your Pikachu will have to stick its tail in the air, to intercept the electricity." Tentatively, Tony's Pikachu got into a fighting stance and raised its tail in the air.

"Good," Lauren said, "then, right at the moment of the impact, you have to, uh, kinda let the energy _flow _through you." She paused for a moment.

"Got it?"

"_Pika-pika!" _Said Pikachu confidently. Now, Lauren and her Pikachu stepped back.

"Ok Pikachu," she cried, "use Thunderbolt!" Tensing its red cheeks, the female Pikachu unleashed a powerful strike of lightning, which flew towards Tony's Pikachu. Remaining still, the Electric-Type Pokémon was struck by the lightning bolt; however, Pikachu wasn't injured by the thunderbolt. Rather, it redirected the lightning bolt through its feet into the ground.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Lauren exclaimed. Pleased with himself, Pikachu jumped up on Tony's shoulder.

"Is it just Electric-Types that can control electricity like that?" Tony asked Lauren as they headed back to the tent.

"Well, only Electric-Types can freely control electricity," explained Lauren, "but other Elemental Pokémon, like grass, fire and water, can control their respective types." This made Tony think about how and why he didn't know this in Johto.

He decided to ponder this question later, and helped Lauren pack up the tent & gear, which took all of a half-hour. After cleaning up the campsite, the two Trainers trekked southwards back to Rustboro. Few words were exchanged during the trip, and by the time they reached the great city, the sun was fully in the sky, beating down and drying the soaked landscape.

Though sore from the long walk south, Lauren and Tony kept on walking, passing through the city and onto Route 104. Crossing the bridge over the lake, the two Trainers came back to the entrance of Petalburg Woods.

"We are _not_ going back through there," said Tony firmly.

"How else are we going to get through, then?" Lauren asked. Tony unsoldered his backpack and pulled out a Hoenn region map. Examining it for a few moments and muttering to himself, he tried to find a way around the forest to get back to Petalburg City.

"There's a trail that leads around the forest and up through the foothills," said Lauren, pointing on the map. Tony stared in disbelief at the tiny line, which snaked its way around the forest and into Petalburg City.

"Why didn't we see that before!?" Tony demanded.

"I don't know," replied Lauren, who frowned. Fuming over how his injury could have been prevented, he stuffed the map back in his backpack, grumbling as they turned left, and started heading uphill into the woods.

The path through the hills was rather new; no grass or trees blocked the freshly made dirt track. Trees were somewhat thinner on the slope, and more sunlight penetrated through the leaves than further below. As Lauren and Tony hiked through the woods, they noticed that the leaves on the deciduous trees were beginning to change their color. Tony pointed this out during one of their five-minute breaks.

"I've almost never seen leaves change their color before," said Tony, gazing at the trees with curious eyes.

"Never?" Lauren sounded surprised.

"No," explained Tony, "there were hardly any trees like this in Johto; mostly conifers in the north and tropicals in the south."

"The trees change from green to red, orange or yellow every year, and then they drop their leaves before winter," said Lauren matter-of-factly, "and that's what makes the soil in these forests so rich." Tony nodded, and soon, they resumed their journey.

The afternoon past without any significant event, and as the sun approached the horizon, the two Trainers had hiked the trail, which led directly into Petalburg City. A small sign stood next to the entrance, which Lauren and Tony walked past on their way to the Pokémon Mart. As they stepped through the twin doors, none other that Brendan was there, browsing the shelves for supplies. Upon their entry, he turned at a smile broke upon his face.

"Well, the last people I expected to see today were you two!" He strode through the store and shook his son's hand.

"What are you doing here?" Tony asked him.

"Oh, I was just stocking up on supplies," replied Brendan easily, "getting ready for the week ahead. And what brings you two to Petalburg, anyway?"

"We were just passing through on our way to Dewford Town," replied Tony.

"So that means you defeated Janet in Rustboro?" Brendan's father asked eagerly.

"Yeah," said Tony, "we did." Brendan's smile grew wider, and he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Well done! Wait a second . . ." Brendan looked down and looked at Brendan's arm. Shock gathered on his face.

"My God," he breathed, "how did this happen?" With a quick glance at Lauren, Tony recounted their tale of the attack in Petalburg Woods. When he finished, Brendan's face was pale.

"But I don't understand," he muttered, "why did you two go through that forest? Tony, you knew about the Mightyena, right?"

"He didn't remember until it was too late," said Lauren.

"Yeah," mumbled Tony ashamedly, "it was my fault. Now I realize we both could have been killed." Brendan placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"It's not your fault, son," he said gently, "it was I who should have warned you before you left . . . I had thought you would use the other path."

"It doesn't matter now," said Tony, "we got to a Pokémon Center fast enough. I suppose we were just lucky to have our Pikachus with us. Without them, I doubt we would have gotten out alive." Heartened by this, Brendan removed his hand from Tony's shoulder.

"Well, I should be on my way; I have to close up the Gym for the night. Keep safe, you two!" Brendan said, exiting the Mart.

"Bye Dad," Tony called after him. Now, the two Trainers picked their way among the shelves, choosing the items they needed.

After a few minutes, Lauren and Tony had amassed a shopping-cart-sized load of supplies, ranging from food to toiletries among other things. They took their merchandise to the counter and paid, then left the store laden with supplies. After carefully stowing everything into their backpacks, the two Trainers headed west again to the nearby coast. At this point, the sun was touching the distant horizon, dying the ocean red and gold. Lauren and Tony stopped near the beach, awestruck by the sight.

"It's pretty," said Tony after a moment. Lauren looked at him, smiling, He returned the smile, both gazing deep into each other's eyes. Almost involuntarily, Tony leaned to Lauren, who, after a flicker of surprise, leaned forward too. And for a moment, their lips met, with the backdrop of the setting sun providing the perfect compliment. Blinking in surprise, Lauren pulled away, unsure.

"Uh," said Tony, "what just happened?" Lauren was confused, her mind buzzing madly.

Tony shifted uncomfortably, his gaze dropping downwards to the ground. He himself was confused, but decided to reflect on his thoughts later.

"Come on," he muttered, "let's go set up camp by those trees." Still too embarrassed to look each other in the eye, they retreated about fifty yards to the edge of the woods, which overlooked the entire beach and waterfront. In embarrassed silence, the two Trainers began to make camp; Tony pitching the tent, while Lauren tried to start a campfire. By the time the sun had completely set, the tent was up and the fire roaring.

While Lauren sat by the fire, cooking a meal and trying to stay warm, Tony had found a large boulder to sit on, and was watching the tide's ebb and flow, while Pikachu sat next to him. He had already explained the day's events to the little Electric-Type Pokémon, and was waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Pika pi pika pika Pikachu," it said after a moment. This startled Tony.

"You're kidding me, right? No, I can't start dating Lauren, she's . . ." But words failed him at this point as he tried to figure out _why _he couldn't date Lauren.

"Pi pika pika chu Pikachu pika," said Pikachu.

"I know," said Tony in an anguished voice, "I know I like her, but we're kind of traveling together . . . it wouldn't be appropriate, especially if she feels the same way . . ." Pikachu looked at him, his gaze calculating.

"What?" Tony asked him.

"Pika pi Pikachu," it told him.

"I can't just march up to her and tell her how I feel," said Tony defensively.

"Pika?" It asked.

"Why? What do you mean, _why_? Don't get me wrong; I _want _to tell her how I feel, but it's not as easy as it sounds, you know!" His gaze traveled to the darkened sky, which was filled with stars. Meanwhile, at the campfire, Lauren was having more or less the same debate with her own Pikachu.

"Don't tell me that _I _should tell him first," argued Lauren, "after all, _he _was the one who kissed me!"

"Pika pika chu pika," said the Pikachu forcefully.

"I _can't_," said Lauren, staring into the fire, "I mean, don't get me wrong; I like him, but there's only one guy in your life that stays forever, and I don't want to be wrong the first time. It's just . . ." But she was lost for words, and fell silent. Instead of continuing her sentence, she checked the pot of ramen noodles on the fire, which were very close to done.

"Tony," she called, "dinner's done!" Tony jumped off the rock and hurried over to the fire, his Pikachu close behind. Lauren added some seasonings and powder to the pot, and ladled out the noodles into two bowls.

"Thanks," said Tony, taking out a fork and attacked the noodles. Lauren, though just as hungry as Tony, showed more restraint in her eating. The only sounds now were the sizzles and cracks of the raging fire, masking the slurps and chewing sounds of Lauren and Tony. Once they finished, the two Trainers silently washed their dishes. Tony allowed Lauren into the tent to change first, while he strode down to the beach, watching the tide.

Overhead, the moon was full, a shining white orb dotted with craters and the lunar _maria. _In silence, Tony now reflected on what had happened.

_Jeez, I don't even know what to think right now,_ he thought, hands stuck in his pockets. _I'll probably talk to her tomorrow morning, maybe then I'll have thought of something to say. _Frowning, he turned his back to the beach and returned to the tent. Inside, Lauren was already in her sleeping bag, apparently asleep. Without making a sound, Tony crawled into his own bag, rolled over and tried to fall asleep. But judging by the lack of noise from Lauren, she was having trouble sleeping as well.

***

Dawn came, the air still and chilly. Tony was still asleep in his bag, snoring loudly. A light breeze caused the tent to ripple. The resulting noise caused Tony to snap awake. Blinking In the low light, he sat up and glanced at Lauren's sleeping bag, which was empty. Sighing, Tony slid out of his bag and exited the tent. In the wake of the rising sun, Lauren was sitting at the fire, sporting a heavy sweatshirt and holding a mug of steaming tea, her hair loose from its bandana. She glanced at him and averted his gaze. He sat near her, staring into the depths of the smoldering ashes.

"Chilly," commented Tony, indicating the present weather. Lauren nodded. An awkward silence filled the campsite.

"Look, I'm sorry," Tony blurted out, closing his eyes. Lauren's voice caught for a moment before replying:

"Don't be." Tony looked up, hardly believing.

"I'm sorry?" Tony asked, almost not accepting what he had heard.

"Well . . ." Lauren spoke with the air of one grabbing at straws, "I just feel like . . . I've had feelings for you since we met, and . . ." At this point, Tony was staring at her, drinking in her words like a man dying of thirst.

"So have I," said Tony hoarsely. She turned her head to look at him, almost as stunned as Tony was.

"Really?" Lauren was almost whispering at this point, entranced by the pearl gray of Tony's eyes.

"Believe it," said Tony, trying to sound just slightly serious. After a moment, Lauren started laughing; she hung her head as laughter racked her body. Slightly unsure with himself, Tony joined in. For a few humorous minutes, Lauren and Tony simply sat there, laughing for the whole world to hear.

Then, the two Trainers rose to their feet and embraced; both were glad that the tension had passed.

"You could have just told me how you felt," said Tony jokingly, once they had sat down again, this time right next to each other.

"What, you couldn't have said something?" Lauren teased him, punching him lightly on the shoulder. Tony chuckled and wrapped an arm around Lauren. They sat there for some time, the fire burning down to a few cinders.

At this point, the sun had risen well into the sky, peeking over the trees behind the two Trainers.

"So," said Lauren after some time, "now that we're _together_, we should talk some more, you know?"

"Like, getting to know each other better, you mean?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," replied Lauren.

"Well, who's going to start?" said Tony. Lauren looked at him.

"Fine, I'll start," said Lauren.

"Ok, so just tell me everything about yourself, then," suggested Tony. Lauren took a moment, then launched into a speech.

"Well, um . . . I guess the one thing that I've wanted to do my entire life was become a Pokémon Trainer. My mom had the greatest stories about when she was a Trainer, traveling Hoenn with a few friends . . ." Lauren ended her talk and waited for Tony to speak.

"What's your favorite color?" Tony asked.

"Green. I like navy and gold too."

"And your favorite Pokémon?"

"I like my Pikachu the most, I suppose," said Lauren, "but I try not to play favorites." She added a slight smile to her last comment.

"What drink and candy do you get when you go to the movies?" A pause. Then:

"Why?" Lauren asked, cocking an eyebrow.

With a smile of his own, Tony replied:

"I heard a saying once, that you never truly know someone until you find out what they get at the movies." This made Lauren laugh, along with Tony's low chuckle.

"Well, if you must know, I get a Mountain Dew with a Hershey's bar."

"Really? So do I," said Tony. Lauren looked at him with a "yeah, right" expression.

"Well, except for the Monster and the Skittles." Tony admitted grudgingly. Lauren smiled to herself, shaking her head.

"So what about you?" Lauren asked after a moment, "What are you like?" Taking a moment to think, Tony launched his self-explanation.

"To start, I guess my greatest ambition was to become a Gym Leader, like my dad. But as time went on, I learned more about what it _really _takes to be a Gym Leader, so when I turned nine, I began training myself to become a Trainer." He paused for a moment.

"Dad was disappointed, I could tell, but he accepted it nonetheless and helped my in my training. There were a lot of days when I just didn't want to keep going anymore . . . I almost gave up during my first month. But Dad was supportive and encouraging . . . I suppose I kept on going because I didn't want to disappoint him again." He stopped again.

"When did you get your Trainer's License?" Lauren asked him.

"I got it a week before my 14th birthday," replied Tony proudly. Lauren's jaw dropped.

"No way, I only got mine a month ago! How did you get yours so early?" Tony gave a wry smile.

"I did what I had to do. It took my dad _a lot _of talking on his part to convince the Johto Trainer's Office to let me take the test early . . . and I aced it." Lauren still did not believe this.

"Let me see your card," she asked. Tony obliged and pulled out his wallet, then the card inside of it. Lauren took it in her hand and examined it, hardly believing. The card was, indeed, issued on December 26, a week before his birthday, just as he had said. Then, it hit Lauren how strong of a Trainer Tony really was; she was sitting next to someone who **actually **had a chance of beating the Pokémon League.

"Told you," said Tony jokingly, taking back his card.

"Wow," breathed Lauren, "that's cool." Overhead the sun had almost reached its maximum height, and the fire had burned down to just a few coals.

"We should go back to Petalburg and get some advice," said Tony, standing up to stretch. Lauren did the same and together, they cleaned up the campsite, extinguishing the fire and sealing the tent. Once finished, they took turns in the tent getting dressed and headed back to Petalburg, looking for answers.

Once back in the city, Lauren and Tony headed straight for Brendan's Gym. If anyone in Petalburg could find them a ride to Dewford, it would be Brendan. The doors of the gym hissed and parted for the two Trainers as they entered, closing silently behind them. Inside, the gym was more or less the same; the only difference was that this time, there was a match raging in the arena. Brendan was on the far side, giving orders to a Beautifly, which was combating the challenger's Pokémon; a Milotic. Tony and Lauren seized their Pokédexes and aimed them at the two dueling Pokémon. At more or less the same time, they beeped and each Trainer analyzed the readouts.

"_Beautifly: The Butterfly Pok__é__mon. One of two final evolutions of Wurmple, this elegant Pok__é__mon is a common sight at flower shops and gardens. As summer progresses to winter, these Pok__é__mon migrate south to the Sinnoh Region to escape the cold weather of Hoenn's winters._" And:

"_Milotic: The Tender Pok__é__mon. This majestic Pok__é__mon is very rare throughout the world; only a few Trainers have ever succeeded in finding a Milotic. The evolved form of Feebas, Milotic is not usually found in the wild and only in very few locations._" Replacing their Pokédexes, Lauren and Tony sat in the bleachers to watch the ensuing battle. The Beautifly was circling the Milotic, which was coiled on the ground like a serpent, shooting jets of water at the Bug-Flying-Type Pokémon. The Trainer commanding the Milotic was unfamiliar to Tony as he studied him; he was dressed rather causally, sporting a pair of cargo pants and a green and white polo shirt.

"Do you know who that is?" Lauren asked Tony, interrupting his thoughts.

"No, I don't," replied Tony, who was still watching the stranger, "he doesn't look familiar to me . . ." The Milotic, meanwhile, had dived into a nearby pool, leaving Brendan's Beautifly in the open. It fluttered warily nearby, should the Milotic make a surprise attack. The challenging Trainer made a slight hand gesture; almost unnoticeable, but not to Brendan or his son.

"Beautifly, watch out!" Brendan shouted distantly. But he was too late; the Milotic had jumped out of the water, _flying _through the air, and head-butted the Beautifly. It gave a cry of pain on impact, and spiraled to the ground, where it landed with a soft _thud! _Brendan took out a Poké Ball and returned the defeated Beautifly to its ball. He then strode across the Gym Floor to the challenger, shaking his hand and giving him a small object. Livid, Tony jumped down from the bleachers and ran to his father, Lauren in tow. The two men watching their arrival ceased their talk.

"Dad!" Tony said breathlessly, once he and Lauren had reached them.

"Ah, Tony. It seems you have some competition for the Pokémon League! Meet Blaze; as you can see, he has just defeated me and earned the Petalburg Gym Badge." The stranger nodded curtly.

"So, what brings you back to my Gym, son?" Brendan asked Tony.

"We were hoping you would know how we could get to Dewford," explained Tony.

"Well, it just so happens that I _do _know a way to get down there," replied Brendan.

"Which is?" Lauren asked

"There is a man that lives in the cottage next to the sea; his name is Pat. Tell him that Brendan sent you and that you need passage to Dewford. He'll take you."

"So you're taking the League Challenge too, huh?" Blaze interrupted.

"Yeah," replied Tony warily. Blaze's eyes narrowed.

"I see," he said cryptically. Without another word, he turned and swept out of the Gym. The three others watched him go.

"Who is he?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"He didn't say," said Brendan, "Either he is simply a good trainer or maybe . . . Oh, never mind. Anyways," he continued, "Pat isn't around here at the moment; I believe he said he would be back tomorrow."

"Where is he?" Tony asked.

"Oh, he often disappears, sometimes for days," replied Brendan.

"Alright, thanks for the help," said Tony. He and Lauren turned to leave, waiting until they had exited the Gym before discussing what had happened.

"That Blaze guy must be pretty strong to have beaten your dad," remarked Lauren as they headed back to their campsite. By the time they reached it, the sun was starting to set, casting the same glow on the water that had sparked Tony's and Lauren's relationship.

"I'm never going to forget that sunset," said Tony, standing next to Lauren as they watched the sun.

"What, you mean yesterday's?" Lauren asked, turning to look at him.

"Yeah," replied Tony, smiling at her. She returned it, leaning on his shoulder. After a moment, she sighed.

"It's funny," she said.

"What is?"

"My dad told me not to get involved with you," Lauren said dryly, "and yet, here we are . . . its just funny how parents tell their kids to not do stuff, and the kids do it anyway."

"'Tis," agreed Tony. They stood and watched the sun for a little while longer, and then they returned to their campsite. Thankfully, no one had disturbed the tent or fire pit. As the sun continued its track to the horizon, Lauren and Tony set a fire and began cooking their dinner. It was ramen _again_, but neither one complained; after all, each packet was extremely cheap and wasn't bad, though both would have gladly swapped their ramen for a burger and fries.

Despite the repeat of ramen, they still managed to have a great time as the evening progressed. Each told stories, both funny and solemn, discussed the best methods for training their Pokémon, swapped old legends about Legendary Pokémon, and otherwise had fun.

"You should think about becoming a storyteller," said Lauren appraisingly, leaning on Tony as the night grew darker.

"I can't, I've gotta top the Pokémon League first, right?" Tony joked. Lauren chuckled along with Tony as they sat there, watching the dancing of the flames.

"We should go to bed soon," Lauren noted. Both of them got up and bustled around the campsite, tidying the area before they went to sleep. Lauren threw some sand on the fire, Tony gathered the bowls from dinner and together, they retreated into the tent. They climbed into their respective sleeping bags and bade each other good night, and soon, they were both sound asleep.

***

Dawn crept over the land, ushering in a new day on Hoenn. Outside the tent, the ground had frosted overnight, but was being melted by the rising sun. From the tent, the sounds of deep breathing were clearly audible as the two Trainers continued to sleep. It wasn't long, however, until Tony, who was a light sleeper, was woken by a flock of Wingull that passed overhead. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and poked Lauren, who was still asleep. She woke with a start.

"What?" She asked, sitting up.

"We need to get going and find this Pat guy," said Tony. Grumbling over the lack of sleep, Lauren unzipped her sleeping bag. Tony exited the tent to allow Lauren to change, walking down to the beach to watch the water. A few minutes later, Lauren and both Pikachus emerged from the tent.

Eager to eat something, Lauren began to light a fire, but was interrupted by Tony, who had had an inspiration.

"Why don't we go into town and have breakfast at the Pokémon Center?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, let's go!" Lauren replied, eager to eat something other than ramen for breakfast.

"We could take showers, too," Tony added as they slung their backpacks over their shoulders. With their Pikachus behind them, they hiked the hundred or so yards back into Petalburg. The town was already awake; a few people bustled about the place, others were fishing on the two small lakes. The Pokémon Center was open, as it always was, so Tony and Lauren headed right inside. This Center was not quite as spacious as the one in Rustboro, but it had a lobby and a breakfast bar all the same. Several trainers occupied the room, some with Pokémon, and some without. Heading to the bar, each grabbed a plate and piled it high with some good, hot food and paid the cashier. Seizing the nearest table, Lauren and Tony dug into the mound of food.

It didn't take long for the two ravenous Trainers to demolish their plates of food. As usual, Tony attacked his plate with the hunger of a Snorlax; Lauren was hungry too, but she ate a little slower than Tony did. Once finished, they returned their plates and headed towards the showers, which were located on the second floor. Splitting up, Lauren and Tony entered the respective showering rooms.

***

Inside the female showers, Lauren stood under a navy-showerhead, the hot water running down her body and through her hair.

_It feels _so _good to finally shower_, she thought, running some shampoo through her curtain of brown hair. With some privacy at last, she reflected on what had happened since that evening Tony had first kissed her.

_It's so weird how this started. All it took was a kiss . . . but I'm glad for it all the same. _As she finished her thought, the water clicked off; it cost ¤200 for every five minutes of hot water. Sighing, Lauren exited the shower, hot steam whirling off her body. She toweled off quickly and pulled a fresh outfit from her backpack. In a nearby shower, her Pikachu was enjoying a shower as well, only mini-sized. Once fully clothed, Lauren took out a brush and ran it through her hair and applied some facial cleanser. A few moments later, her Pikachu's shower clicked off.

"_Pika pika,_" came the Pikachu's indignant response. Lauren sighed.

"It costs ¤200 a pop, Pikachu. Unless you have some more money, you could take a longer shower, but we need to save what we've got. Sorry," she replied. The Pikachu jumped on the counter, at which point Lauren scoured the little Electric-Type Pokémon dry and ran a fine-toothed brush through its short coat.

"_Pika Pikachu pika pi chu?_" Pikachu asked.

"Things between Tony and I are fine," replied Lauren.

"_Pika pika chu pika?_" At this Lauren snorted.

"Have we slept together yet? Hmm, not yet, I suppose."

***

Across the hallway in the male showers, Tony had finished his shower and was having a debate with his own Pikachu.

"What? Why do you want to know? My thoughts about Lauren are 100% my own, Pikachu," Tony said forcefully.

"_Pika chu pika pi_", it replied. Tony sighed with exasperation.

"Fine, I'll talk about it – but only if you tell me what you think about Lauren's Pikachu," Tony dared him.

"_Pi, pika Pikachu pika chu pika pika chu," _It explained. Tony chuckled.

"Me an' you in the same boat, huh? So, Lauren . . . jeez, I guess you could say we're together, but we haven't really dated or anything . . . I suppose that this adventure is one _really _long date."

With that said, Tony exited the shower room and reentered the hallway. Lauren was leaning against the wall, her Pikachu on her shoulder. She gave a start when he appeared and together, they returned to the base floor. But as they were about to leave, a voice rang out across the lobby:

"Hey you two! Wait!" Startled, Tony and Lauren turned around to see Blaze, the trainer they had met yesterday, approaching them. Tony's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward to confront him.

"What do you want?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"I wanted to make an offer to you two," Blaze declared. Lauren stepped forward too.

"Which is?" Lauren asked.

"You two are on a quest for the Pokédex, aren't you" This startled Tony.

"Maybe," he said, "but why are you interested?" Blaze ignored him and spoke to Lauren:

"You're aware of the Legend, I take it?" Lauren blinked.

"Of course, but what do you-"Lauren began, but Blaze cut her off.

"I know where they are," he stated boldly. At this, Lauren went numb with shock.

"What Legend?" Tony asked.

"The Legend," explained Blaze, "is about the two Pokémon Trainers that had completed the Hoenn Pokédex thirty years ago, but disappeared en route to delivering the data and DNA to Prof. Birch." A chill crept down Tony's spine as her remembered Lauren telling him about this very legend the day before they had set out together.

"I know the place where they are being held," Blaze said, "and so, I'm going to make a deal with you two. If you let me come along on your quest, I'll take you to their location, and after I take care of some . . . er, _personal _business, they're all yours." Tony did not know what to make of this.

"Can we talk in private?" Tony asked, indicating Lauren. Blaze nodded and stepped away, immersing himself in a nearby bookcase.

"Tony, this is the answer! If we can get those Pokédexes, we'll finally have finished the Hoenn 'Dex! It's the only Pokédex that hasn't been completed!"

"I don't trust Blaze," growled Tony, who was watching the wiry stranger over his shoulder.

"You don't like him just because he defeated you father for the Gym Badge," retorted Lauren. Tony stood there, fuming.

"Alright, fine, we'll give him a shot," he grumbled, "but if he does _anything _I'm going to lay his ass out. Pokédexes or not, the most important thing is _us_."

"Thank you," said Lauren earnestly, hugging him, "you have no idea how proud this will make my dad of us. Plus, it'll help him get over the shock of us going out." Tony managed a small smile as he returned the hug. Sensing a consensus had been reached, Blaze returned to the group.

"Well?" Blaze asked, "What do you say?"

"I say that you're welcome to tag along, but let me warn you," Tony snarled, "any _funny _business, and you're out. You're _gone_." He paused. "Who are you, anyway? And how do you know about the Pokédexes?" Blaze raised a hand at Tony's questions.

"Not here," he muttered, "perhaps later, hmm?" Gathering his things, he followed Tony and Lauren out of the Pokémon Center and back out of Petalburg. The only thing left to do was find Pat, and that proved none too difficult, for Pat was outside, tending to his boat. As the trio approached Pat, he looked up and waved.

"You're Pat, right?" Tony called out to him.

"Yes, I am," he replied once he had gotten closer. Pat was a sturdy man in his thirties, wearing a t-shirt and loose cargo shorts. His hair was black, cropped short, and he sported a hairline beard and sideburns. His eyes were bright green, which were searching the three Trainers with interest.

"Brendan sent you, didn't he," he stated, his voice carrying a hint of the Irish. Tony nodded.

"Then I take it you need passage to Dewford?" Pat continued, leading them to his boat. It wasn't a speedboat, but it would do just fine for a trip to Dewford.

"How much is passage?" Tony asked, but Pat waved a hand.

"Brendan is an old friend of mine," he explained, "and you're his son, which helps. If I heard right, you're planning on challenging Louis, that correct?"

"That's right," confirmed Tony. Pat nodded and jumped in the captain's chair of the pontoon boat.

"You guys take the boat," Blaze said. Tony gave him a raised eyebrow.

"How're you going to get to Dewford then, smart one?" Blaze unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it high into the air. It burst open, and a Pidgeot appeared in the sky, flapping its enormous wings. Tony's stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Like this," replied Blaze, who then jumped high into the air, landing on the Pidgeot's back. Waving with a wicked grin plastered on his face, Blaze directed the Pidgeot in the general direction of the island.

"Your friend is a devilish thing," remarked Pat, who laughed at Tony's indignation. Still fuming, Tony followed Lauren onto the boat and when seated, Pat fired up the engine and steered out into the open ocean. It was a fine day for traveling; the waters were relatively calm and the skies clear, with a light breeze from the west. High overhead, the speck that was Blaze and his Pidgeot was just visible. Both Pikachus were standing at the front of the boat, watching the waves below.

"I wonder where he got one of those," wondered Lauren, who was gazing skyward at the pair. Tony shrugged.

"I still think he can't be trusted," Tony muttered. Lauren sighed with exasperation.

"I don't like him much either, Tony," replied Lauren exasperatedly, "and the way he showed off . . . but he's our only link to the missing Pokédexes, so we need him."

"That friend of yours," interrupted Pat, "where is he from? I've never seen the likes of him around these parts."

"We don't know where he's from," replied Tony. Pat nodded and continued driving the boat.

As they made more progress across the sea, a small island came into view. Upon it was a large rock, almost cave-like, surrounded by six rocks in the water, forming a hexagon.

"What is that place?' Tony asked. Pat shook is head.

"Can't say," replied Pat, "but I've heard my fair share of old curses and legends about that island. Supposedly, there are two other rocks like this one somewhere in Hoenn, and each one is well avoided, mind you." Soon, they had passed the island and moved on. After several minutes, Lauren got up from her chair and pointed to Tony, saying:

"Look, I can see Dewford from here! We're getting close!"

"Aye," replied Pat, "that's Dewford, alright." It was only a short time later before they rounded the corner of a small island and came upon Dewford's harbor.

Only a few boats were in the tiny harbor, which were all sailboats. The town of Dewford was a collection of small houses, a Pokémon Center, and the Dewford Gym, which was situated on a hill overlooking the harbor. Pat carefully maneuvered the pontoon boat to an open dock and quieted the engine. Jumping quickly onto the dock, Pat took the mooring lines in his hands and secured the boat, allowing Lauren and Tony to scramble onto the dock, along with the two Pikachus. .

"I wonder where your friend has gotten off to," wondered Pat, leading the two Trainers into the town. Dewford itself was a pleasant city; some kids were playing in the street, local vendors calling out their prices to passersby, and a few hydrogen cars rolled quietly through the cobble-paved lanes.

"It's a nice place," said Tony admirably, who was most interested in the food vendors.

"Aye, that it is," said Pat.

"When are you going to pick us up?" Lauren asked.

"I will be here tomorrow morning," replied Pat, "if you can beat Louis before night falls! I hope you do, because I'm leaving for a week to visit me brother in Lilycove!" Laughing, Pat strolled back towards the dock and to his boat.

"Ok," Lauren said uneasily.

"So, we need to beat Louis today, otherwise we're stuck here," replied Tony, frowning. Just then, Blaze and his Pidgeot dropped out of the sky, the enormous Flying-Type Pokémon landing with two flaps of its mighty wings.

"What'd I miss?" Blaze asked, jumping down from Pidgeot's back.

"Oh, so _now _he's here," said Tony, fuming, "where have you been?"

"I was flying around the island," replied Blaze simply, "looking at the Gym, mostly."

"Well, what did you see?" Tony asked impatiently. Blaze shrugged.

"Nothing," he said simply.

"Nothing. Well, that's just great because we need to defeat Louis _today _or we'll have to stay and miss our ride home!"

"Oh," replied Blaze, "ok, so I'll tell you two how to defeat Louis, then?" Blinking in surprise, Tony suddenly remembered that Blaze was indeed four Gyms ahead of him.

"Fine," growled Tony, "but only because we're pressed for time. It's about three o'clock right now, and the Gym closes at eight, so . . ."

"Four hours to get ready? No problem," said Blaze easily. Leading the two Trainers to the outskirts of town, Blaze launched into an explanation about how to defeat Louis.

"Ok, so Louis is a Fighting-Type Gym Leader, right?" Lauren asked.

"That's right," replied Blaze, nodding, "so you'll need either a Flying or Psychic Pokémon to beat him." At this, the two other Trainers looked at each other.

"What?"

"Uh . . . well, we don't have either of those types," admitted Tony. Blaze frowned, trying to think of another way.

"Well, do you have anything with high SA and Speed?"

"Our Pikachus," replied Tony at once.

"There you go, then," said Blaze simply, "you see, Louis' Pokémon are powerful, but not especially fast. Their SD is low too, so Fire or Electric Types would do better than, say Normal or Bug Pokémon."

Heartened by this, Lauren and Tony started practicing with their Pikachus, each drilling especially on speed and agility, having Chikorita and Mudkip shoot leaves and jets of water at the Pikachus to dodge. They also practiced accuracy and power, with Tony throwing several clay pigeons into the air, each Pikachu taking turns at blasting it out of the air with jolts of electricity. After about two hours of this, Blaze called a halt to their practicing.

"That should be enough," said Blaze, once Lauren, Tony and the other Pokémon had gathered.

"How did _you_ beat Louis?" Tony asked. Blaze shrugged.

"Well, I have Pidgeot now, but he was a Pidgeotto at that time, but we still wiped the floor with him all the same."

"Where did you get one? I don't think you can find Pidgeotto in Hoenn," said Lauren.

"I travel a lot," replied Blaze. And with that, the group made its way up the nearby hill to the newly constructed Gym. A sign at the door bore Louis' message to its challengers:

**DEWFORD TOWN GYM LEADER: Louis**

**THE CHAMPION OF BOTH HUMAN AND POK****é****MON FIGHTERS!**

"You two go on in," said Blaze, once they had read the sign. Though Lauren and Tony were both nervous, they gave each other a quick nod and stepped through the door, their Pikachus in tow. Once again, the appearance of the Gym awed both Trainers, and frightened them slightly. The Gym was smaller than Rustboro, but was intimidating, nonetheless.

Dewford's Gym was not unlike that of a football field, without the field. Bleachers surrounded three walls of the Gym, creating the almost football field-like effect. A Pokémon League regulation arena was in the field's place, the lines of the arena chalked white. On the other side of the arena stood a man, who watched Lauren and Tony approach with sharp eyes. He was, in Tony' opinion, the most intimidating looking person imaginable; his skin was a deep brown, sharp brown eyes and a sneer on his face. Though clothed in simple workout clothes, muscles bulged beneath his shirt; muscles that were capable of just about anything.

"I was expecting you," he said across the arena, his voice floating through the air, which was low and gravelly.

"We challenge you for Dewford Town Gym Badge!" Tony called, who was no longer afraid. A low laugh came from Louis; it was almost mocking, and set Tony's blood boiling. Still laughing, Louis unclipped two Poké Balls and threw them into the air. Out of those two Poké Balls came a Hariyama and a Machoke. This time, neither of the two Trainers pulled out their Pokédexes, and ordered their Pikachus onto the battlefield. Louis, who had stopped laughing, looked curiously at the two little Electric-Types, and then shouted:

"Commence battle! Hariyama and Machoke, use Body Slam!" The two enormous Fighting-Types ran at the Pikachus, intent on smashing them into the ground. That, however, was simply not going to happen.

"Pikachu, dodge and use Thunder!" Tony and Lauren shouted simultaneously. Just before the moment of impact, both Pikachus dodged the incoming Fighting-Types and shot respective bolts of electricity at their attackers. Though powerful, the attacks did not knock them out; rather, it made the two angrier as they charged again, roaring their displeasure.

"Ok, that's not going to work," muttered Tony.

"What should we do, then?" Lauren asked desperately.

"Both Pikachus, try using more power in your attack! Focus on one opponent at a time!" Tony shouted. Standing side by side, both Pikachus pumped more energy into their attacks, this time directing it at the Machoke first. The lightning hit was a loud _bang!_ The Machoke roared in pain and, clearly incapacitated, it hit the floor, fainting in the process. The Hariyama, however, continued its charge, aiming for Lauren's Pikachu. Still weakened by the attack, Lauren's Pikachu couldn't get out of the way in time as the Hariyama _kicked _it, sending the little Pokémon flying halfway across the arena. It tumbled once or twice, then was still.

"Pikachu!" Lauren yelled, unable to leave the Trainer's box, she watched her fallen Pokémon helplessly.

"Cease battle!" Louis shouted, who then exited his own Trainer box to tend to his Machoke. Lauren sprinted at once from the Trainer box to gather her Pikachu in her arms, Tony following close behind.

"Is she okay?" Tony asked, watching Lauren.

"I-I think so," replied Lauren shakily, "she's just knocked out." Her hand trembling, she took out her Pikachu's ball and returned it. Several feet away, Louis was examining his fallen Machoke.

"Stunned," he muttered, just audibly. He returned his Pokémon as well, and then retreated to his respective box, Lauren and Tony doing the same.

"Resume battle! Hariyama, use Mach Punch!" Louis shouted. As Hariyama geared up for the attack, Tony had an inspiration.

"Pikachu, use Double Team!" Tony ordered. At once, two dozen copies of Pikachu sprang out of nowhere and encircled the Hariyama. Confused, it randomly chose one of the copies and struck. The illusion popped in a cloud of white smoke.

"Use Rapid Spin!" Louis shouted. Planting a foot into the ground, the Hariyama began to spin, slowly, then gathered speed.

"Pikachu, jump on Hariyama's head!" Tony countered. Out of the ring of Pikachus, the real one jumped and latched itself behind the Hariyama's head as it continued to spin, kicking the illusion-Pikachus. Soon, all but the original remained, clinging for dear life to the spinning Hariyama.

"Now, zap it!" Tony yelled. Charging its electricity, the Pikachu's cheeks glowed white, releasing a bolt of thunder directly into the Hariyama's nervous system. At once, it toppled over, paralyzed, while Pikachu was sent flying off its back, landing in a heap several feet away. A few seconds later, it wobbled to its feet, extremely dizzy.

Wearing an impressed smile, Louis recovered his Hariyama and strode to Lauren and Tony.

"You two are either lucky, or you may just have a shot at the Pokémon League." He outstretched his hand, showing two Dewford Gym Badges, gleaming in the light.

"Congratulations."

"I don't deserve it," said Lauren, "my Pikachu fainted . . . Tony, if anybody, deserves it."

"Don't be stupid, kid," insisted Louis, holding a Badge for her. Shrugging, Lauren took her Badge and tucked it away in her pocket. Tony pocketed his own badge.

"Where is the next Gym?" Tony asked.

"In Mauville City," replied Louis, "is Jewels. She's a wicked Electric-Type Trainer, so I wouldn't use your Pikachus against her, that's for sure!" Laughing, Louis showed the two Trainers out of the Gym. Blaze was there, leaning against the wall of the Gym.

"How'd it go?" Blaze asked. Tony and Lauren flashed their Badges. Blaze nodded in approval.

"Hey Blaze," said Louis.

"What's up, man?" Blaze replied, walking over to give Louis a fist-bump. Lauren and Tony gave each other quizzical looks as Blaze and Louis exchanged pleasantries. After a few minutes of conversation, they said their goodbyes and Blaze joined Lauren and Tony as they hiked back into Dewford, discussing the match all the way.

"Well, I wouldn't have thought about doing that," admitted Blaze as the three Trainers sat outside a restaurant, devouring a large pizza.

"You'd be surprised at what he can do," said Lauren, "after all; he got his Trainer License a week before he turned 14." This piece of information didn't trouble Blaze.

"Well, he's not a . . . oh, never mind," he muttered. Tony chose to ignore this and instead resumed tearing into his slice of pizza. They finished not long after and paid, then left the town to set up camp. At this point, the sun was starting to set, and once the three Trainers had found a suitable spot, they began to make camp. Once their tent was pitched, Lauren and Tony started making a fire, while Blaze set his own 1-person tent.

"Are you, like together, or something?" Blaze asked curiously, indicating the shared tent.

"Yeah," replied Tony, rather defensively, "we are." Blaze shrugged and yawned. After several minutes, the fire was roaring loudly, occasional cracks issuing from the logs Tony had brought to camp. With Lauren next to Tony and Blaze across the fire, the three Trainers sat and enjoyed the warmth of the fire long after the sun had set.

Some time later, Blaze gave a wide yawn and retreated to his tent.

"Try not to keep me up, will you?" Blaze asked. Tony and Lauren flushed, and Blaze laughed. Moments later he entered his tent and went to sleep, leaving Lauren and Tony alone at the fire.

"We should go to bed as well," said Tony. With Lauren right behind him, they retreated to their tent as well, both throwing some sand on the fire. It hissed and smoked slightly, but went out a moment later. Quietly, each Trainer entered their sleeping bag and bade each other good night, then fell asleep, each dreaming of the other.


End file.
